Knowledge-Constitutive Interests and Social Paradigms in Guiding Mixed Methods Research (MMR)

Abstract

Abstract. The four paradigms of ‘radical structuralist’, ‘functionalist’, ‘interpretive’ and ‘radical humanist’ (Burrel & Morgan, 1979) and Habermas’s (1987) theory of knowledge-constitutive interests have solid philosophical positions to guide the designs of MMR in social sciences. Research nature and social phenomena can be mainly analyzed based on objective and subjective perspectives. After discussing the application of four paradigms and Habermas’s theory of knowledge-constitutive interests of technical, hermeneutic and emancipatory into MMR, it was understood that the functionalist paradigm based on post-positivism and technical interest was very compatible with most quantitative strands of MMR. The interpretive paradigm based on post-modernism and hermeneuritic interest is well suited to most of the qualitative strands of MMR. However, the umbrella philosophy of mixed methods studies is pragmatism. From the perspective of the radical humanist paradigm based on post-modernism and emancipatory interest, it is highly applicable to participatory action research, emancipatory action research and mixed typed transformative design and the radical structuralist paradigm based on positivism and technical interest is very suitable with technical action research, mixed typed embedded design. However, some research designs include two paradigms; for example, mixed convergent parallel, mixed multi-phase design and mixed embedded design.